Sony Xperia SP and L bring disco lights, mid-range kicks

Hot -- or at least warm -- on the heels of the 5-inch Xperia Z, Sony's lifted the lid on two new smart phones, one of which features a flashing disco strip along its undercarriage.

The Xperia SP (seen above) has a 4.6-inch, 720p screen, as well as NFC and 4G capabilities. It should be compatible with every UK 4G network, so you won't be tied to any particular operator if you want speedier mobile data.

The SP is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and plays host to a glowing strip of see-through plastic along the bottom, which you can see in action in the video below.

You can customise this band to change colour and notify you of new messages or calls, or -- Sony says -- set it to 'pulse to the beat of your music. It's a daft addition, but Sony clearly knows that everyone enjoys gawping at a colourful flashing light. Here's hoping it doesn't have an impact on battery life.

The Xperia L meanwhile is smaller and a little less fancy, toting a 4.3-inch 854x480 pixel screen and a 8-megapixel camera. There's no 4G and the processor is a more modest 1GHz dual-core affair, but these hardware cutbacks should mean the price is a bit lower.

The SP and L are both running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which isn't quite the latest version. As these phones aren't expected to come out worldwide until between April and June, it's a bit of a pain to have an older version of Android on board.

There's no word on an exact release date, but stay tuned. Sony's Xperia Z impressed in our review, so here's hoping the Japanese tech giant can repeat the trick with these more humble mobiles. Are you tempted? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.